


Cloak & Dagger

by ExoEl88



Category: EXO (Band), SHINee
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - MAMA (Music Video), Alternate Universe - Sherlock (Music Video), M/M, Private Investigators, Romance, Strippers & Strip Clubs, Urban Fantasy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-05
Updated: 2016-04-06
Packaged: 2018-05-24 20:57:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,981
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6166627
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ExoEl88/pseuds/ExoEl88
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lee Taemin is a no nonsense kind of person. He works as a Private Investigator in the heart of New York City at a small company. He's dealt with weird cases before, but nothing compares to an old friend requesting he look into a person who can supposedly teleport.<br/>And it gets stranger still when he finally meets said teleporter.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there. I know it's been a while since you've heard from me. I'm alive!! (But I almost didn't survive Taemin's comeback, omg)
> 
> *** I'm putting up the prologue to test the waters. This has been sitting on my laptop since August, and I have been internally struggling with whether or not it would be a story people would enjoy. Please leave a comment with yay or nay, or just your opinions! I'd love to hear them, and they will definitely have an impact on how/where the story goes.
> 
> This story was inspired by (surprise, surprise) MAMA and Sherlock. My best friend and I were chatting and it turned into a huge spectacle. Now without further ado, here it is.

The torrential rain doesn't happen much in New York, but when it hits, it hits _hard_. People flee the streets in favor of awnings and taxis. Today is one of the rare downpours in New York. An investigator by the name of Taemin Lee, camera in hand, is trying his best to remain inconspicuous as he follows a man suspected of cheating. His tourist getup looks horribly out of place. No New York tourist would be out wandering the streets right now. They would be inside at the Met, or at Radio City. Not wandering the streets.

He sighs and debates whether or not he should continue to follow. Another disguise is in his backpack if he somehow finds the chance to change without losing sight of his suspect. He internally curses Minho for bailing on him.

If he hadn't, this would be a lot easier. He could duck into a restaurant and change, or at least grab a coffee. But no, he's stuck alone in the pouring down rain following a man who is most likely cheating on his wife.

He's grumpy now. His _I Love N.Y.C._ sweatshirt is most definitely not designed for this kind of rain, so his clothes underneath are starting to feel a little damp. The cold seeps into his skin, and he has to wipe off his camera lens every few seconds. Normally, the rain doesn't bother him this much, but he can't change his clothes since he's alone. The situation is just bothersome.

He's half tempted to call off the hunt when he sees his suspect duck into an apartment building that's not his own.

He snaps a photo of the building. It's on the upper class side, so there's bound to be a doorman, especially at this time of day. He'd never get close enough to the apartment without being seen and likely caught. He's gathered plenty of information for one day, so he turns on his heels and retraces his steps all the way back to his parked car... ten blocks away.

By the time he makes it back, his flimsy tourist sweatshirt is completely soaked through. So are his jeans. The clothes in his backpack aren't likely to be very dry, either. He grits his teeth and turns up the heat. His skin is covered in goosebumps as he peels off the dripping black fabric of his sweatshirt.

Taemin rests his head against the steering wheel for a few moments, deciding what to do next. He's supposed to go back and report to Jinki, but he really doesn't want to. He's cold and wet, not to mention starving. When his stomach growls, his decision is made. Food first.  He pulls out his phone and orders from his favorite pizza delivery joint. If he wasn't soaked, he would have the delivery person drop it off at the office. But today is not an ordinary day. He gives them his home address before ending the call.

Fatigue hits him pretty hard. Lately, he hasn't been sleeping very well. He hasn't been able to figure out why, either. Work is steadily boring; his social life almost equally so. He hasn't changed his workout routine in ages. His diet hasn't changed, either.

Maybe he's just sick. No doubt after today's escapade in the rain, he will get a cold. He can already feel it coming on. His throat had been a little dry and scratchy lately, too. No doubt he can use this to his advantage. 

He scrolls through his contacts once more and finds Jinki's number. After two rings, he hears, "Hey. What's going on?"

"Nothing really. I was able to follow the suspect to an apartment building uptown. It's pretty nice, so I didn't risk trying to get past security. I have photos, too. But I was out in the rain for a while. I don't feel very well," he says, playing up the hoarseness of his voice.

"Okay, get some rest Taemin-ah. You've been working hard lately," Jinki says, concern evident even through the phone. "Just send the photos to me when you get the chance."

"Will do. Thanks, Jinki," Taemin replies, glad to be able to crawl into bed and take a breather. The reason as to why he's so exhausted remains a mystery, but there's no doubt that some rest will help.

He tiredly looks out his window. The rain is still relentlessly pounds against the streets of New York, creating a foot of mist above the ground. He's glad to be inside now, if only for a few minutes.

He starts his car and begins to drive home where his bed and food await.

...

The fatigue is undeniable when he reaches his small studio apartment. His eyelids feel heavy, and he barely manages to strip off his soaking wet clothes that cling to him like a second skin. He changes into a comfy pair of sweats and an old t-shirt from high school. The clothes are warm and soft against his skin, and the comfort level is enough to lull him to sleep.

He nearly falls asleep on his couch, hunger completely forgotten, when the shrill buzzing penetrates the silence of his apartment. With a groan, he pulls himself to standing. His footsteps drag as he walks to buzz the delivery person in. He feels like a zombie as he digs out the cash from his wallet. He barely says a word to the bubbly teenage girl who collects his money and hands him the pizza. He's simply too tired to carry a conversation right now.

The warmth of the steaming pizza box radiates into his hands. His stomach growls again, and he decides it's best to not go to bed hungry.

He forces himself to eat at least two slices, scalding his tongue in the process. Normally he would wait for the pizza to cool, but he's already struggling to keep his eyes open and his body upright. 

He's about to go to bed when his phone rings. He frowns in distaste his cell. Is the world conspiring against him today? The call could be important, but he doesn't want to answer. If it's work, then he _really_ doesn't want to answer it. Jinki gave him the rest of the day off, and he could actually use the extra hours of rest.

Feeling the beginning of a headache forming behind his eyelids, he picks it up and reads the caller ID. It reads Jinki's name with work in parenthesis beside it.

So much for the extra sleep.

"Hello?" he asnwers. He doesn't even have to make an extra effort to sound tired or sick.

"Taemin, I'm really sorry to call you right now, but I have a customer who is requesting you by name. She's very persistent..." Jinki says with a sigh.

At least Taemin gets the impression that he really tried to get this person to talk to someone else. "Who is she?" he asks reluctantly.

"Krystal," he answers.

The name draws up a blank. "I don't know someone named Krystal... Tell her to-"

"She says you might better recognize her name as Soojung," Jinki interrupts.

 _Oh._ "I know her," he sighs, already shaking his head. He's going to have to speak with her; there won't be any turning her away.

"She wants to speak with you privately and in person."

Taemin has to suppress a groan. "Did you tell her I'm sick?"

"Yes. She says this is very important, and she only trusts you..." Jinki sounds just as skeptical as Taemin feels.

"Go ahead and give her my address, then. I would come in, but I wasn't lying when I said that I'm not feeling well. I'll see what she wants," he mumbles, lifting a hand to rub his temple. A headache really is building, and it's making his fatigue worse.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. She and I were good friends in high school," he says tiredly. "And I'll make sure it gets on the books."

"I've always trusted you with that, Taemin. Just don't overwork yourself, okay? Take tomorrow off, too," Jinki says apologetically.

Taemin suppresses a smile. Jinki has been the best boss he could have ever hoped for. "Okay, hyung," he says. He rarely uses Korean honorifics, despite using Korean names. He's using them now because he wants Jinki to understand how appreciative he is.

"You're welcome," comes the reply. "She says she'll be there as soon as traffic with allow."

"Mkay. Bye," Taemin mutters, effectively ending the conversation. He really wants to bury himself in his sea of blankets and sleep away the rest of today and tomorrow.

His luck today has been real shit so far. Minho suddenly contracting the flu, the pouring down rain, the lame case to begin with, and now this. Honestly, it can't be much worse. A sigh slips past his lips. With nothing to do but wait, he grabs another slice of pizza. The room suddenly feels too quiet, so he plays some of his favorite Michael Jackson hits on his phone.

Even though these songs are his go-to for pick me ups, he really can't get into it, and their effect is lost. Instead, his mind drifts around.

Soojung. He hasn't seen her since graduation almost six years ago.

He's changed a lot since then, and he wouldn't be surprised if she was very different, too.

Six years ago, Taemin honestly believed he was going to major in dance. By some sort of weird turn of events, he ended up with a part time job as a secretary of sorts at the Private Investigations office he currently works at. The dynamic of the office and the allure of being an investigator fueled the change in majors.

Also, there was no denying that it's tough to major in dance. The job field is far too competitive and limited. He already had a nice setup where he was with the potential to be more. So instead of pursuing his dream, he chose practicality and insurance. He still doesn't regret his decision; he's not one to regret things, but he does miss performing on stage. There's nothing quite like it.

He wonders if Soojung has changed as drastically as he has. Is she married? He honestly hopes it's not another case like the one he's currently working on. When he first started as a full-fledged PI, he childishly thought he'd be taking part in more criminal investigations. No; what most people don't know is that private investigators primarily investigate civil cases. Occasionally finding people family members want found, or lost heirlooms and such, but most of it was surveillance on spouses accused of infidelity and wanting proof. Usually the people who pay for those cases are rather rich; most average income spouses haven't signed pre-nups.

More times than he'd ever admit aloud, he's considered switching into the police force as a detective. There are a few things that hold him back, though. For one, he truly does like his coworkers. They are fun people, and the closest thing he has to friends these days. For another, he doesn't like the public image of the police. He doesn't want to be associated with an organization with so much bad press. And lastly, police do the same amount of paperwork.

So it's not a hard decision to stay, really. And there's the occasional exciting case that makes up for some of the monotonous cases.

He's pulled from his thoughts by the harsh sound of the buzzer. Reluctantly, he moves to standing. All of his muscles groan in protest. He presses the button and awaits her arrival with his pounding forehead resting on the door. He blinks, slow and heavy, feeling his fatigue intensify.

Moments pass in the blink of an eye. Suddenly, there's soft knocking from the other side of the door, just two inches from his forehead. He takes a deep breath, mentally preparing himself, and opens the door.

Soojung looks almost identical to how she did the last time they met. Long caramel colored hair is elegantly braided to the side. The skin of her face looks as baby soft as always. Her makeup looks a little more precise; likely the product of years of practice.

"Hi," he says, meeting her gaze.

"Hi," she replies, her eyes flickering to the side. "Are you going to let me in?"

He steps aside and holds the door open. "You look the same," he comments as she passes by.

She walks straight to the couch and sits down. "So do you, except you look like hell right now."

A dry chuckle escapes past his lips. "I kind of feel like it," he says, moving to sit next to her.

"Thank you for seeing me," she says with an uneasy smile. "I don't know how to put this into words..."

"What is it? Cheating spouse?" he asks. He doesn't mean to be short. He normally wouldn't be, either. But his head is throbbing and his eyes want nothing more than to remain closed, preferably for at least twelve hours.

"Um... no, nothing like that. It's kind of difficult to explain, so I'll just say it. I've seen a guy who can teleport, and I need you to get proof," she says, glossy lips pressed into a thin line.

Taemin wonders if this is all just some bizarre dream, because he's had weird cases before. Nothing like this, though. "Soojung, that's not possible," he says, staring at her skeptically.

"I know, but I also know what I saw," she replies. "His name is Kai. He works as a stripper downtown."

"What?" he exclaims, trying to figure out how this story is supposed to make any sense. "A stripper who can teleport? Soo, have you lost your mind?"

Soojung shakes her head exasperatedly, as if she expected this kind of reaction. "I knew you would say something like that. No, I haven't lost my mind. I saw him in the alley. There was a loud bang and he disappeared."

"Were you drunk?" Taemin doesn't understand why she seems so convinced.

"No, I was the designated driver that night. I didn't even drink water," she says defensively, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "Taemin, I know what I saw. People don't just disappear in a cloud of smoke. The alleyway was too long for him to have just ducked around a corner. And he looked suspicious. I can't take this to the police without proof."

"They won't believe you even if you do," Taemin remarks. "Besides, do you even know if he committed a crime? Teleporting technically isn't legal." _Because it's not possible_ , he wants to add but doesn't.

"I guess you're right on that. But he even looked like he was nervous. He was on high alert. I'm surprised he didn't see me..." she trails off, looking shaken.

"Okay, Soojung. I'll look into this person for a week starting the day after tomorrow. If I don't see anything supporting your claim in that time, then he's nothing more than a normal human being," he concedes, half to just get her out of there and half because he's curious. "We'll talk billing later." 

"Thank you, Taemin," she says, smiling softly. "Now get some rest. Jinki has my number, so if you need to call, it's there."

She stands, and Taemin blinks tiredly while he does the same. He walks her out. Before he closes the door, he says, "You're welcome, you know. And we should go for drinks to catch up sometime."

Her smile widens. "Sure, Taeminnie." She turns on her heels and walks away.

After closing the door, he makes a beeline to his bed. Within minutes of closing his eyes, he's blissfully asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, THANK YOU FOR READING! Just clicking on the link gives me immense joy. I really appreciate every single one of my readers. You all mean the world to me~ 
> 
> I'd love to hear what you have to say! Is it good, is it only eh, is it boring? For some reason, I really can't decide how I feel about this one. Any opinions would be tremendously appreciated!


	2. Author's Note

Hello everyone. Since I tend to update slowly, I'm not prepared for the next chapter of this fic yet, but I wanted to let you know my feelings on the Kaistal situation before too much time passed. 

I'm never going to give up on TaeKai. Ever.

* * *

 

       

       

           

* * *

 

There are countless more pictures and videos and interviews, but these are just a few that I could scrape together for this note. These moments (and all the others) prove to me that... t _hey are real_. These moments are so genuine, so beautiful, so real. Kai is dating Krystal? Okay. That doesn't lessen the joy I feel when I see these pictures. Whether they are just friends or something more is  _theirs to know_. I write my fanfics because I see beauty in them together. I don't doubt my ship in the slightest. I ship them because this is something real to me. It's different than fanservice. This relationship is beautiful and just because SM announced that Kai is dating Krystal doesn't mean TaeKai is less real in my eyes. 

That being said, I will absolutely **NOT** spread hate on either Jongin or Krystal. I love Jongin to pieces and will go to the ends of the earth to defend him. I don't know much about Krystal or f(x), but I can say that nobody deserves hatred for dating someone. Fans should respect the personal and private lives of our idols. 

Please continue to love and support TaeKai~ This fandom is small, and it breaks my heart that some very talented authors have given up. Some very talented artists no longer drawing. Some readers are no longer reading. Please, please, don't abandon the ship. We love your contributions. <3 

I think I've said everything that I can about the Kaistal situation. I promise to continue all of my fics! (I'm just painfully slow at updating and just writing in general, and for that I'm sorry~) I'm also happy to announce that I'm in the Pretty Boys Fic Fest this year~ Keep strong TaeKai stans, and thank you for all of the love and support you've given to me!


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